For political parties the amount of donation received exhibits the prowess and influence of the party, and in this context the Congress received over Rs 139 crore in 2019-20. Senior leader remained Kapil Sibal one of the biggest individual donors among its members by contributing Rs 3 crore to the party fund. As per provisions of the electoral laws, political parties have to report contributions above Rs 20,000 made by individuals, companies, electoral trusts, and organisations. Also Read: RLP’s Hanuman Beniwal To Hold Tractor Rally In Rajasthan’s Every District, Says ‘March Will Be Peaceful’
The contribution report for 2019-20 of the Congress has been put in the pubic domain by the Election Commission.
Who are other contributers?
While former prime minister Manmohan Singh donated Rs 1,08,000, former party chief Rahul Gandhi donated Rs 54,000 and party president Sonia Gandhi donated Rs 50,000 between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2020, as per the news agency PTI. Sibal, part of the group of 23 leaders who wrote a letter to Sonia Gandhi in August 2020 seeking radical organisational overhaul, emerged as the biggest individual donor among the party”s members, giving Rs 3 crore to the party fund in 2019-20, as per the PTI report.
Other members of the ‘G23’ in the list of donors include Anand Sharma (Rs 54,000), Shashi Tharoor (Rs 54,000), Ghulam Nabi Azad (Rs 54,000), Milind Deora (Rs 1 lakh) and Raj Babbar (Rs 1,08,000).
The total donations of over Rs 20,000 amounted to Rs 139,01,62,000. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, A K Antony, Kumari Selja and Ahmed Patel, who passed away last year, were among those who made financial donations to the party.
Interestingly, Jyotiraditya Scindia, who quit Congress in March 2020 to join the BJP, had donated Rs 54,000 to the party in the 2019-20 financial year. The contribution document was submitted to the EC by Congress in December last year and was signed by the party”s interim Treasurer Pawan Bansal.
Who are corporate contributers?
As per the report, donations by ITC and associated companies were over Rs 19 crore, while Prudent Electoral Trust contributed Rs 31 crore.
In its contribution report Bahujan Samaj Party had said it has not received donations above Rs 20,000.
